


Watching the Watchers

by Lady_Arkytior_of_Dunans



Series: A Bundle of Legacies [5]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Chiss (Star Wars), Chiss Imperial Agent - Freeform, Drabble, Nar Shaddaa, chapter 1: Heart of Terror, chiss agent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:13:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29722605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Arkytior_of_Dunans/pseuds/Lady_Arkytior_of_Dunans
Summary: Cypher Nine has dealt with the terrorist cell on Nar Shaddaa. Now she has to decide how she'll deal with Watcher X.
Series: A Bundle of Legacies [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2086140
Kudos: 3





	Watching the Watchers

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Stars Alike In Dignity](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10222829) by [angelicfangirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelicfangirl/pseuds/angelicfangirl). 



Imperial Agent: Nar Shaddaa (Empire)

" _Congratulations, Cypher,_ " Watcher X droned through the holocom. " _You've struck the final blow to the terror cell. Survivors will be unable to regroup. Ties to the Eagle's network have been severed. There's only one catch. Destroying the network hub sent a ripple through the holonet. Shadowtown security momentarily failed. I took the opportunity to escape._ "

"Escaping was your real goal all along," the Agent concluded, leveling a glare at Watcher X's tiny, fuzzy image.

" _I knew working with Intelligence would expand my options,_ " he admitted. " _It wasn't until we met that I formulated a plan._ "

"Damned son of a sow," Kaliyo growled under her breath.

" _Soon, one of your watchers will notice the glitch,_ " he continued, ignoring the rattataki. " _You'll be asked to find me. Hunt me. But I don't want you as an enemy. Tell your watcher that I remain imprisoned. Once I'm safe, I'll share my secrets. You'll know everything Intelligence keeps from its Cyphers._ "

"How do I know you'd keep your end of the deal?" Cypher demanded.

" _You don't. But consider the possibilities. Do you want the details of the eugenics program that bred myself and Watcher Two? The aliases of your friend 'Kaliyo Djannis'?_ "

"You sleezy freak! Think you can play? You're dead. You're so dead."

" _It's yours,_ " he continued, once again ignoring Kaliyo. " _All the secrets. You only have to help me escape Nar Shaddaa._ "

"You know how to make a tempting offer."

" _I can guarantee this chance won't come again._ "

"You're kidding, right?" Kaliyo demanded. "You're going to sit back and let him use you?"

"Whether he escapes shouldn't matter to you. Why do you care?"

"This guy thinks he can play us. No one does that to me, you get that? Not your bosses and not some pure-bred garbage."

" _Apologies for interrupting. I have to get to my ship. And you have an incoming call from your masters. Goodbye, Cypher._ "

"Cypher Nine, this is Watcher Two." This was it. " _I'm routing this call through a half dozen city subsystems._ " She had to stay calm and think fast. " _We intercepted a set of terrorist transmissions reporting the destruction of a company called 'Verve Gen'._ " Shadowtown had terrified her more than she'd let on. " _I've sent agents to scour the company's systems for additional data._ " She'd been so excited to join Imperial Intelligence and prove that the chiss were more than just aliens. " _It seems the Nar Shaddaa cell has been neutralized._ " She'd never considered what would come _AFTER_.

"I just destroyed the cell's communications hub," Cypher confirmed. "It could have salvageable data."

"I'll alert the teams." Was this truly her fate? " _There's also something else._ " To be a loyal servant of the Empire until she outlived her usefulness? " _As I was monitoring, I noticed some unusual network activity._ " Then tossed here, imprisoned with a bomb in her head? " _It's possible Shadowtown security was breached._ " Was she really just going to be a dutiful pawn and accept that? " _I'm worried about Watcher X._ " Was she really going to sacrifice herself to an Empire that considered her disposable? " _He'd take advantage of a fault like that._ "

Time to make a decision.

"I just talked to him." She had to remain perfectly composed. She'd been the perfect agent up until now, so Watcher Two had no reason to doubt her. But the chiss agent wasn't about to leave anything up to chance. "He's still locked up."

" _I must have made a mistake then._ " Watcher Two sighed, seeming to buy the line. " _That man puts me on edge._ " An understatement, if a perfectly engineered agent like Watcher Two could be rattled. " _I'm sorry you had to work with him._ "

"You don't need to apologize." The words were sincere, though not for the reason Watcher Two thought. Working with Watcher X had been incredibly strenuous. But it had been equally enlightening.

" _Thank you._ " Watcher Two still sounded unnerved. " _But my judgement may have been clouded._ " A fact the cypher agent was using to her advantage. " _I won't trouble you further._ " Cypher seemed to be in the clear, but she knew better than to let her guard down. " _I'm reading the new data, and I'm sure you have business left on Nar Shaddaa._ " She wanted to flee, but ending the call prematurely would only raise flags back at headquarters. " _Contact me once you've returned to your ship._ " There was a chance Intelligence would know if she got back to her ship and didn't contact them immediately. She would have to take some time to recover ground side first. " _Watcher Two out._ "

Watcher Two ended the call. Cypher took a few deep breaths as she slipped her holocom back into her pocket.

"You cowardly piece of filth," Kaliyo sneered. "I'm not going to forget this."

"Would you calm down?" the agent snapped. "I don't care about your aliases or your past. Keep your secrets."

"You just let him use you and walk all over you!"

"Watcher X presented me with an opportunity to gain the upper hand. You saw Shadowtown. If I live long enough to see retirement, that's where I'll end up. I didn't leave the Ascendency and join Intelligence only to be used and discarded. If the data that Watcher X has can give me an advantage, then you'd better bet your pasty white ass that I'll use it."

"So, you're saying _you_ used _him_?"

"Exactly. I took a gamble. But if he's really stupid enough to send me the data he promised, then I'll have a lead to track him down later. He could be a valuable ally or tool if I need to disappear from Intelligence later on."

The hiss of a door opening interrupted whatever Kaliyo was going to say next. The agent straightened up and threw her shoulders back as the Intelligence team entered. She took a moment to direct them to which consoles were the most likely to have pertinent data and then left them to their work.

She strode down the streets of Nar Shaddaa like she owned the whole moon and Kaliyo kept pace at her side. If the rattataki's expression was anything to go by, then she'd clearly come to see the agent's side of things. With the air cleared, they could hopefully unwind a bit before heading back to the ship and onto their next mission.


End file.
